When We Were Young
by HanareHatake
Summary: 40something Kakashi spends most afternoons at the used bookstore. Rival score stands at Guy: 678, Kakashi: 677. And there are the joys of babysitting Team 7's kids. Walking the dogs...falling asleep on the couch...grocery shopping. Alone. But then there's a knock on his door and suddenly, everything changes.
1. An Uninvited Guest

**Author's Note:** If you're here I hope it's because you believe in the power of love to change people and the world for the better. That's what Naruto is about, after all. Time with loved ones is precious - don't let yourself or your love gather dust!

 **Rated T** for old people angst. Pretty sure it'll be mostly fade-to-blacks on this one. Fortysomething Kakashi and Hanare are flattered you're here but don't really feel the need to let it all hang out.

Enjoy.

Ja matta!

 **The Concept**

An image of over-the-hill Kakashi alone in a quiet back room of a used bookstore. He goes there every afternoon, perusing the shelves to see what's new and also because he doesn't have anything else to do. It is the springtime of his middle-aged youth, and the autumn of his life. Outlook: uneventful? Current score: Guy 678, Kakashi 677. Lots to look forward to… babysitting Team 7's kids, wheeling Guy to the dog park along with the pack, reading _Icha Icha_ knock-offs at the memorial… grocery shopping, alone. It's fine. Then one afternoon, everything changes.

 **1: An Uninvited Guest**

A knock on the door. Kakashi set down his newspaper with a groan. He'd finally gotten a break from everyone's kids - _still have to clean up the mess Boruto and Sarada made in the garden!_ \- and had just sat down with his sake-laced macha to rest his bad knee.

Grumpily rising from the table, Kakashi limped toward the front door. _Better not be another solicitor…_ "What do you-" Kakashi froze. Standing on the step was a small woman dressed smartly in a lavender kimono. Her braided hair was an unusual color: green. It had faded, but he'd know her anywhere.

"Ha… Hanare?" His voice cracked on the last syllable like he was going through puberty again. He took a step back, feeling like he'd seen a ghost. She should have been in her early forties, but looked more like late twenties.

She walked right past him, into the house. Right into _his_ house… "Hello, Kakashi," she said. "I know you live here alone. Your best friend Guy told me." She glanced around his modest home, taking it all in quickly. Kakashi stood open-mouthed (behind the mask, of course - thank god he still had it on - _what if I'd answered the door without it?!_ ) by the threshold.

"I have a proposal," she said, setting her plain suitcase (wait, _suitcase?_ ) on his table. "I've never married," she said, a slight blush that he remembered too well forming on her cheeks. "Close, but no cigar, so to speak." She laughed lightly. "And from what I've heard, _you've_ never even come close."

Kakashi looked sideways and scratched his head self-consciously. "So what's your point," he said.

"We're not getting any younger," Hanare said, walking over and opening the curtains over his sink so the late afternoon sun streamed into the small kitchen, illuminating the tile. "I think you and I… might've had something. Maybe it was just youthful urges, but it was something. I felt it. And even if it was only chemistry, or even if you didn't feel it as strongly as I did - even so, it was something and it wasn't bad."

She turned and looked at him. The beauty mark under her right eye twitched as her eyebrows raised in query. "Do you disagree?" she asked. Kakashi was silent. "It's alright, Kakashi. You won't hurt my feelings. I'm a forty-one-year-old woman. I've been through a lot." She smiled like she had when Naruto gave her the daisies. Kakashi was surprised at how clear the memory was. He hadn't thought about it in a long time.

"No," he said. "I don't disagree with what you've said."

Hanare nodded. "Good. Then here's my proposal: I'll move in. We'll see how it goes - just friends for now. If something more happens, great. If not… well, let's give it three months. That's when most new relationships hit a re-calibration point, they say."

"Who says?" Kakashi frowned.

"Psychologists."

Kakashi frowned deeper.

Hanare laughed. "Don't look so threatened, Kakashi of the Sharingan. Marriage counseling is a long way off!"

"M - mar… marriage? _Counseling_?" Kakashi's eyes went wide.

"Kidding," Hanare giggled, raising a palm. She leaned back on his table, tilting her head and appraising him. Kakashi stood there, hands in his pockets, looking nonchalant and feeling anything but. _What a strange day_ , Kakashi thought. It sure was uncomfortable. But not really _bad..._

After she gave him a good once-over, Hanare met his eyes once more. "So. What do you say, Kakashi?"

The sound of screaming kids wafted in from outside. Kakashi could smell the blossoms from the fruit trees. It was spring. What did he have planned for today…? Oh, right - summon Pakkun and the pack for a little walk. Go by the bookstore to see what was new in the adult section. Flower shop... Cemetery… Mah jong with Guy. Grocery shopping and get something from the deli for dinner. Home… re-read Tactics. Sleep.

Having Hanare around would undoubtedly impact his routines… his way of life. _Why should I change? I'm perfectly fine with things the way they are._ An image of himself crashed out on the couch, arm draped over his eyes and _Icha Icha_ muffling his snores, popped into his head. _Fine… aren't I?_

He took in the woman in front of him. Was aging well a thing kunoichi could study? She seemed to have gained a lot less wrinkles than he had over the years. Kakashi ran a hand through his hair - aware suddenly of how it was a bit thinner than it used to be - and scratched his chin through the mask. He hadn't shaved. Hanare's eyes were bright and clear, watching him expectantly.

"I'm too old for this," Kakashi said. "But alright, then."


	2. Beachhead

Hanare smiled a big grin that Kakashi wasn't sure he'd seen before - it rounded her cheeks and made her eyes narrow at the corners.

"Excellent," she said brightly. "Where should I put my things?" She reached over and put graceful fingertips on the handle of her suitcase. The kimono sleeve revealed her forearm. Kakashi remembered that - her small wrists, the build that looked delicate yet felt strong enough when he fell on top of her…

"Kakashi?" Hanare was looking at him expectantly. He blinked, trying to recall her question, and scratched his head. "Ah - do you have a preference where I keep my things?" she repeated, smiling.

"No," Kakashi said, shrugging. "Anywhere's fine."

Hanare hesitated, then picked up her suitcase from the table and turned to survey the house. She took it all in quickly, then headed toward the bedroom.

"Hey…" Kakashi said, realizing where she was going. He followed her. Peeking around the corner of his bedroom door, he saw Hanare with her suitcase already open on his bed. She was putting her clothes into one of his drawers. _Damn, she's fast._ Her movements were brisk and businesslike.

"So, what's on our afternoon agenda?" she said without looking up from what she was doing.

Kakashi blinked. "... _Our_ agenda?"

"Yes. What are we doing?" Hanare looked up and smiled.

Kakashi leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. "Well, _I_ was going to go for a walk in the park, with my ninken, and it's mah jong night so… "

"Oh, I love dogs!" Hanare exclaimed. "And it's the perfect time of year for light walking." She pulled out something suspicious looking - light blue and silky - from the suitcase and put it in the drawer. Kakashi wondered what it was. Hanare snapped the empty suitcase shut and knelt so she could slide it under his bed.

"I'm not used to having company," Kakashi said. Hanare stood up and faced him.

"Are you the old-fashioned type, Kakashi? Would you rather me stay here and fix dinner and clean while you go out? I'd be happy to. I don't want to intrude."

Cooking and cleaning? That didn't sound bad either, honestly. But it didn't seem quite right. Kakashi put a hand on his chin and considered. Who knew that living with someone included such difficult decisions… and Hanare had only been there for ten minutes! She was smiling patiently at him.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "Why don't you come with me, and we can figure out cooking and cleaning while we walk. I'm used to doing all that for myself," Kakashi said, with a touch of pride.

"You keep it very nice here," Hanare acknowledged. "And that sounds like a lovely plan. Do you mind waiting a moment?" She blushed a little and looked down.

"Huh?" Kakashi said.

"I'd like to change clothes and use the restroom. I was in a hurry on my way here and it would be nice to freshen up…"

"Oh, right." Kakashi scratched the back of his head. "Excuse me, I'll just wait out here." He pointed toward the living room and disappeared around the corner.

Hanare opened the drawer and took out a clean skirt and top. She undid her kimono, and found an empty hanger in Kakashi's closet to put it on. Luckily she hadn't sweated on it too much during her travels, and her undergarments were still fine so she just left them on and slipped into the fresh outfit. Then she headed down the short hall to the bathroom.

Out in the living room Kakashi was reading the paper… except he wasn't reading so much as just staring blankly at the page. The characters all seemed to blur together. He couldn't focus because everything felt different: the house, the air, his chair, his body - everything. How could simply having another person around provoke such a sudden and palpable change? It was mystifying…

"Thank you for waiting." Kakashi startled slightly at the sound of Hanare's voice, unused to being roused from his inner thoughts. He glanced up from the newspaper… and stared.

Hanare had changed into a plain dark blue skirt that went down past her knees, and a pale pink shirt-sweater-blouse… thing… that had a big turtleneck collar. That was all nice and fine but what really caught Kakashi's eye was her hair. It had been braided when she arrived, but now she'd put it down and it fell around her face and shoulders in waves.

"I… I'm ready to go," Hanare said, her cheeks pink. She glanced at him and pushed a stray piece of hair out of her face. Kakashi realized he'd been looking at her in silence. _That was rude…_

Kakashi stood up quickly and went to the door. Hanare followed quietly. He held the door open and as she stepped out onto the porch, Kakashi noticed she wore ninja sandals. He closed up the house and stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned toward the road. Hanare fell into step beside him.


	3. A Walk in the Park

The day was balmy and fragrant with all the fruit trees in bloom. Petals of pink and white lay scattered across the road like snow, as the bowers of the trees arched protectively overhead. Kakashi's house was on a wide street near the outskirts of town, a quiet yet family-friendly area that didn't get much business traffic. They could follow this road around the curve of the Nara neighborhoods to the dog park.

"It's so beautiful," Hanare said, looking around at everything. Her face was peaceful and appreciative. "Just like I remembered it, only more confident, mellow… more grown-up. As though Konoha grew more comfortable with itself and its place in the world."

Kakashi walked in silence a moment, thinking about it.

"Well, this is the quieter part of town. The market district is still pretty rowdy and immature."

Hanare laughed. "Then we'll have to visit there sometime - sometime when we're feeling rowdy and immature ourselves, perhaps."

That was a funny idea. Kakashi hadn't been… rowdy… in a long time.

"Sometimes Guy and I play cards in the izakaya down there…"

"Kakashi!" Hanare gasped. "I had no idea you were so _wild."_

His gaze slid down and sideways and stopped on her face. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were making fun of me just now?"

"Maybe," Hanare said, undaunted. "You gonna do something about it, Kakashi of the Sharingan? Man who copied a thousand jutsus!" She smirked, peeking up at him through her lashes.

Kakashi frowned. The loss of his sharingan eye in the 4th Great Ninja War shouldn't have still bothered him, but it did. "That's not me… anymore," he said finally, and went back to staring straight ahead, confused. _Am I… going to do something about it? About her making fun of me? Hm._

Something brushed against his arm. "I'm sorry," Hanare said. Kakashi saw her fingers graze the navy blue fabric of his sleeve. "That was insensitive," Hanare continued. "Please accept my apology. I only meant to tease you about the conspicuous nature of your past accomplishments. There are so many. You've really done so much, Kakashi. It's… a bit intimidating, really, for the average person."

Kakashi nodded. He put one foot in front of the other. It was all too much to process - and tiring. It was quiet on the path. Not too many people out. Hanare's fingers fluttered down and away from his arm. Kakashi didn't know what to think about the fact that he noticed. Their feet made light crunching sounds on the gravelly dirt.

The path went uphill slightly and around a curve. There was a little more activity near the Nara compound. Kids trying out shadow-style moves - or pretending they were - a few older teens hiding out behind a shop and smoking, cats squaring off to defend territory.

A couple of the older kids recognized Kakashi and stopped to stare. _Let the gossip begin_ Kakashi sighed inwardly. He watched Hanare wave to the kids. "Good afternoon!" she smiled. The teens mumbled greetings back, blushed and looked away… but Kakashi could feel them staring again as he and Hanare disappeared over the rise in the road and descended toward their destination.

Situated between two small hills, the dog park was an acre or so of grassy, evergreen-dotted land set aside for citizens of Konoha to have a safe place to hang out with their canine friends. A few short trails crisscrossed the park, and there was a small pond with a low walking bridge over it. There were benches scattered along the trails and near the pond, along with strategically placed trash cans for doggy bags.

"This is lovely," Hanare said. She turned around, taking in their surroundings. There were children nearby playing with an energetic shiba, as well as some Inuzuka tweens doing training drills with one of the clan's large mountain dogs. Hanare smiled at all that. She glanced up at Kakashi - but he was already looking away, slipping a scroll out of his vest pocket.

"Summoning jutsu!" he slammed a palm down on the ground, atop the unfurled scroll. The cut he'd made in his thumb seeped blood onto the parchment.

 _*POOF*_

An unimpressed fawn-colored pug, slightly gray around the muzzle, appeared in front of Kakashi. So did seven other dogs - ranging from a small beagle mix to a huge ebony mastiff.

"Hello, Kakashi," the pug said.

"Pakkun." Kakashi dug around in his pockets. "I brought you guys something…"

All the dogs clustered around the silver-haired jonin as he pulled out a bag of bacon treats.

"Hey, now - wait a second! Don't drool on my shoe…!" Kakashi hurried to open the bag.

Hanare laughed. "May I feed them, too?" She extended a hand toward him.

"Uh, sure," Kakashi said. He poured a small mountain of treats into her open palms. Eight tails wagged vigorously as eight heads turned toward the kunoichi. She looked at them. They all sat.

Except for Pakkun, who hopped up onto the bench next to the green-haired woman.

"You must be the leader of this crew," Hanare said to the pug. "Let's start with you." She put a piece of bacon in his mouth. Then she went around to each other ninken and gave them a treat, accompanied by a touch and some kind words.

"You have such silky fur!" she said to Shiba.

"What an elegant profile," she said to Uhei.

"You must be the rebel," she teased Urushi.

When they had all eaten, Hanare stepped back and sat down on the bench next to Pakkun.

"Wanna feel my paw? It's really soft." The little pug held up the pads of his right foreleg for her to inspect. Hanare giggled a little and blushed as she gently wrapped her fingers around Pakkun's paw.

"Oh my, yes, it's _very_ soft," she exclaimed. "One of the softest things I've ever felt!"

Pakkun's stub of a tail wagged. "Who is this anyway, Kakashi? If I'm not mistaken, you've been rude and not properly introduced us."

Bull burped politely in agreement. Kakashi reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose where the mask seam met his skin. His eye swiveled from looking at the pond to looking at Pakkun.

"He smells anxious," Biscuit yelped in laughter. Guruko snickered and started cleaning himself. Akino covered his nose with his paws.

"This is Hanare," Kakashi said evenly, ignoring the comments. "She'll be staying with us for awhile."

Pakkun's wrinkly brow shot straight up in surprise. "I didn't think you humans moved that fast, Kakashi. Well… congratulations. She seems nice. And she smells…" the pug sniffed Hanare. "And she smells somewhat fertile, though a bit old for a breeder."

"Pakkun!" Kakashi whipped around and glared at the pug, his face a mix of anger, horror and embarrassment.

"No, it's fine, Kakashi," Hanare said quickly, though her cheeks were cherry-red. "Th… thank you," she said graciously to Pakkun. "I believe you intended that as a compliment?"

"I did," Pakkun said dourly, casting a wounded look at Kakashi, who was now turned pointedly away from the pack with his hands jammed stiffly in his pockets.

"Do you all want to walk with me?" Hanare said. "I'd love a little stroll before it's time to go back and fix dinner."

"Is this your first time here?" Biscuit jumped up and wiggled his butt. "Lemme show you my bone stash!"

"I'd like that," Hanare said. Kakashi glanced over his shoulder. Bull was already leading the way, padding toward the footbridge. Pakkun had jumped into Hanare's arms.

They were leaving without him.

Kakashi hesitated, but just then Hanare paused. She looked back. She had a little smile on her face and her whiskey-colored eyes were bright. There was a slight breeze. Petals from the persimmon trees mixed with a smattering of loose leaves in the zephyr and blew across the path. A lock of Hanare's green hair moved in the wind.

Kakashi took a step toward her… and stopped. "My knee is acting up. I'll wait here." He pointed at the bench. Something passed over Hanare's face but he couldn't say what. It had only been there a split second. She smiled again, nodded and turned away… heading for the pond… with _his_ pack.

He watched them for a minute. The Inuzuka dog came over to touch noses with Bull. The smaller ninken were in full show-off mode, dashing around and displaying their best play fighting moves. Pakkun was draped comfortably over Hanare's shoulder, looking blissful and sleepy. Kakashi knew he was staring at her but didn't stop. She was facing away from him, laughing and saying something to Akino.

The pink sweater thing draped softly over her bosom as she cradled Pakkun. The pug's rear legs were nestled right between her breasts, which didn't seem to have been affected by gravity at all in fifteen or so years. Kakashi wondered if there was some kunoichi trick to that. The blue skirt skimmed down over her hips and covered everything demurely, but when Hanare suddenly squatted down to look at whatever Biscuit was digging up, Kakashi could still get a good idea of her curves _down there_. He remembered her as having a graceful walk… seeing her now, the jonin confirmed she had it still.

Kakashi adjusted his mask and ambled over to the bench. Hanare and the dogs were taking the westward trail that led through the willows and back around via the obstacle course, which Uhei and Urushi always wanted to go to. Kakashi figured he'd have about half an hour to himself.

The bench was hard. _Either it's getting harder or I'm… getting soft_. Kakashi sighed to himself as he pulled out _Icha Icha Maneuvers_ , the latest installment in the series after a cartoon media giant had acquired the rights. The quality just wasn't the same as in Jiraiya's day, but Kakashi didn't know what else to read. New _Icha_ was so watered-down, it was barely pervy at all… all the characters were teenagers and unbelievably melodramatic about every single little thing. They'd even put _vampires_ in one book. And rumor was the next was going to be written by a celebrity guest author with no credentials. _Barely worth my time_ , Kakashi sighed again as he flipped to his place in the tepid novel. _But what else is there…_

"Kakashi?" The shinobi startled awake. Someone was shaking him by the shoulder - gently. He glanced up, blinking, pulse elevated.

"Don't worry, it's just me - Hanare. Sorry to have to wake you, Kakashi. But, if you sleep in that position for long you'll get a neck cramp." The woman standing over him came into focus. Green hair. Pakkun's grouchy face. Kakashi reached up in a panic to check his mask.

Hanare looked away. There was a faint blush on her cheeks. "Don't worry, your mask was on. We… finished our walk. I thought maybe it was a good time to get you and head back for dinner?"

Kakashi rubbed his eyes. _Dinner_? Did he have dinner plans? With Hanare? Then it all came back: her showing up at his door, her proposal, their agreement.

"What day is it?" Kakashi croaked to no one in particular. His throat was dry from his nap.

"Tuesday," Biscuit said, scratching behind one ear.

 _Oh that's right, I knew that._ "Mah jong night," Kakashi mumbled. He realized he was still holding _Icha_ open in his hand… and that Hanare was staring at it. He snapped the book closed and stuffed it quickly into his vest. He stood up so abruptly that Hanare took a step back.

"Gotta go to the flower shop. Cemetery. Then mah jong…" Kakashi murmured. Hanare nodded.

"Would you like privacy at the memorial? I can go to the market and have dinner ready at whatever time you like to eat." She patted Pakkun's rump rhythmically as she slightly swayed, rocking the little pug as if he was a baby.

Kakashi nodded. One of the pack farted, which was great because he couldn't think of anything else to say anyway and Hanare was staring at him. All the ninken glanced at each other. No one admitted to being the flatulence culprit.

"See you all tomorrow," Kakashi sighed. Pakkun raised his head off of Hanare's shoulder.

"Sending us away so _you_ can hog all the dinner, eh? You're a real class act, Kakashi…"

Kakashi rolled his eyes and unsummoned the ninken. There was a dispersal of smoke and then he and Hanare were alone again.

"I'll save them some leftovers," Hanare giggled.

"Good idea," Kakashi said. They turned in unison and started walking back along the path they'd come.


	4. Heno Heno Moheji

_A.N. Ah, gomen! I didn't realize this was so short when I wrote it. But the breaks do need to fall this way. I probably won't get to post for a few days so please check back soon or check out my other stories in the meantime. Thank you so much for reading! ~Jya mata_

 _..._

The door swung open with a slight squeak and Hanare went into the house first. Kakashi wondered where he'd put the oil. He'd been meaning to fix that hinge forever…

"Is there anything in particular you feel like for dinner?" Hanare said as she went over and started casing his kitchen.

Kakashi thought about it as he watched her open drawers and cabinets, taking note of what was where. Her face was intense - it reminded him of… that day… and the cliff.

"I like miso and eggplant," he said. Hanare straightened up. She fixed him with a look, putting a hand on one hip.

"I've done pretty well for myself," she said. "Tonight's my treat."

"I don't need anything fancy," Kakashi replied.

"Seafood? Steak? A junmai ginjo perhaps? We can have something nice." Hanare raised an eyebrow and grinned.

Kakashi felt warm and uncomfortable. _Must be this muggy weather,_ he thought. He put his weight on his good leg, shaking out his knee.

"I like miso and eggplant," he shrugged. Hanare's mouth set in a little line. She huffed, then chuckled and shook her head.

"Fine. I'll surprise you, then."

"Alright."

"You'd better get going to the flower shop."

"Yeah."

"What time will you be back for dinner?"

"Um… well, mahjong sometimes goes long…"

"You can play mahjong here. Tell Guy to come over _after_ dinner."

"...What?"

"Eating too late is bad for the system at our age. We'll have dinner, then you and Guy can have your game. I'll buy extra beer."

"...okay."

"Are you going out in just that?"

"In what?"

" _That_ **."**

Kakashi looked down where Hanare was looking. He had on an old white tee under a slightly rumpled uniform shirt, with his most-worn Hokage pants and shinobi sandals. It was comfortable. "Yes?" he answered.

"At least button up for the memorial!" Hanare bustled over and Kakashi suddenly found himself inches away from her - close enough to smell the magnolia in whatever perfume she had on. Her fingers tugged lightly on the buttons of the standard issue dress shirt, deftly doing them up. Then she adjusted his collar and Kakashi felt her fingertips graze his neck. It tickled a little. She smoothed the shirt, her palms pressing flat against his chest and then running down firmly over his arms. Kakashi stared at the top of her head.

"It gets cool out around five - do you want your vest?"

Kakashi blinked. Hanare was standing there, already holding up his flak.

"...Sure."

Kakashi felt like he was sleepwalking as Hanare moved briskly behind him and helped him into the vest. As he slipped his hands through the armholes, Kakashi tried to recall if anyone had ever done this for him before…

Hanare was standing by the door, holding it open for him expectantly. She was smiling, her light brown eyes framed by dark green waves of hair. The pink sweater had gotten a little wrinkled across the left breast while she helped dress him. Kakashi reached up and adjusted his mask.

"I'll be home around six," he said.

"Perfect. Don't be late!" Hanare smiled. Kakashi nodded and stepped out onto the porch. The door clicked shut behind him.

After he'd gotten about halfway to the flower shop it dawned on him that he had no idea how Hanare knew about his bouquet habit… or the memorial ritual. In fact - when had she talked to Guy? And under what circumstances?

Kakashi shook his head. _I must really be getting old if I'm not asking the most obvious questions._

It wasn't until he was pushing open the flower shop door that it registered that Hanare had kissed him on the cheek before he left.

His hand flew up to touch the spot on his face. It had been through the mask, but still! _How did I not… It just seemed so normal…_ He froze, halfway through the door. A voice rang out from inside the shop.

"Kakashi-sensei! An extra bouquet today, perhaps?"


	5. Memories

The stone was dark and silent, solemn and welcoming as ever. Kakashi stared deep into the onyx, losing himself in meditation and daydreams like he did every few days. He felt Rin's and Obito's names carved into the stone as though they were carved into himself. Despite much being resolved in the war, the loss of his childhood friends was still a burden.

Kakashi peered into the ebony depths. _I suppose they're together now_. It seemed right. Rin's infatuation with him was a pale love compared to her platonic devotion to Obito… and Obito's love at first sight for Rin had always been the real deal. Kakashi was certain that in the afterlife, such things must get worked out. _Otherwise, it'd be a mess. It'd be the opposite of eternal peace if we were all plagued by unresolved love triangles!_

The awkward thought brought a smirk to Kakashi's lips beneath his mask.

"I'm gonna go put your flowers in water now, guys," he said, and turned toward the individual plots.

Soon sprays of stargazer lilies were gracing both Rin's and Obito's resting places. "Have fun. Remember, no need to wait for me. I'm fine," he said to them. The wind lifted slightly. Kakashi listened but heard nothing. He took it as a good sign. Hopefully, his friends were long gone and content. It was a little after five and the evening chill was in the air. Kakashi shrugged down into his vest, glad Hanare had made him wear it.

"Well she didn't really make me… I chose to take her suggestion, after all," Kakashi murmured. He looked up at the darkening sky. Puffs of dark lavender clouds hovered high above the uniform rows of white grave markers. Kakashi watched as two of the puffs shifted, smushed together and ultimately created one larger cloud formation that looked like Hanare's bosom.

"Better not be late," Kakashi said to himself. He turned and started walking back toward the house, the extra bouquet Ino had sold him held loosely in his left hand.

It was a weeknight and not very exciting out, but early enough that restaurants and bars were open for the dinner rush. Their lamps and windows cast warm light onto the Konoha streets. Kakashi stuck to the shadows. The bunch of roses was highly unusual and he didn't want to talk to anyone about it.

"Hey, Kakashi!"

 _Huh?_ It sounded like Asuma, but… Kakashi looked around. No, of course it wasn't. It was Choji. Waving from across the street, where he appeared to have just come out of the mochi shop. It had just sounded like… for a moment…

Kakashi reluctantly crossed over to where the big shinobi was standing - mostly to get him to stop waving and shouting his name. Choji was out with his daughter Cho Cho, who'd grown from an adorable baby into a striking teenager. Her flashing yellow eyes sparkled as she greeted him.

"Hai Kakashi-sama! Who're the pretty flowers for?"

"Uh." Kakashi glanced down at the bouquet in his hand.

"Special occasion?" Choji asked. "We were going to the grocery if you need to pick up anything. Wanna come with?"

Kakashi scratched his head. "...Sure." _I guess I could get some of those spicy okaki Guy likes, since he's coming over._

The three of them walked through what was nicknamed "candy alley" and turned right, heading up the main commercial street. Since Konoha had been rebuilt after Pain's attack, it was technically a completely new main street. But the fact it had been constructed as basically a copy of the first meant it still felt familiar and charming.

Kakashi thought back. Of walking up the older version of main street with Hanare, when they were young and she was out on break from the interrogation center. Inoichi - now passed, sadly, lost in the war - had asked Kakashi to try and extract more info from the young lady. Neither Inoichi, mental interrogations specialist, nor Ibiki, the torture expert, had been able to glean any intel from the captured spy.

For some reason Kakashi had decided to take her out of the cell blocks and out for a walk around Konoha. _Was I crazy_. Kakashi sighed to himself. The captured spy was pretty, he was cocky, it was a nice sunny day. He hadn't wanted to be stuck in the depressing detention center all afternoon. _And hell, when Anbu had her all tied up and dragged her through the gates she turned and gave me that look…_

The memory came with a surprising feeling. Kakashi hadn't thought of it in a long time. Hanare had looked his way as she was brought into Konoha under arrest. Their eyes had met. She'd been dressed up as a traveling singer. He couldn't recall exactly what she wore but there were bright colors - a lot of red.

The clock outside of the barber shop said 5:28. He had just enough time to get the crackers and get back to the house without being late.

The entrance to Mercado Ao was crowded but Choji, Cho Cho and Kakashi made their way inside with minimal jostling, partly because people recognized the two war veterans and tried to give them space out of courtesy. Cho Cho ran off to look at the jewelry displays.

"I don't know why," Choji said. "She doesn't need any of that for a few more years." The doting father put a mochi from their previous stop in his mouth.

"I just need okaki…" Kakashi said.

"Right over there," Choji jerked a thumb over his shoulder. "Aisle 5 section A," he rattled off without hesitation.

Under his mask, Kakashi smiled. "Thanks Choji." He started to walk away.

"Ahem, if it _is_ a special occasion…" Choji called after him. Kakashi froze. "Well, me personally, I always take chocolates into battle."

Kakashi considered. "Where are the…"

"Aisle 19 section 1," Choji said.

Kakashi nodded and hurried away.


	6. A Special Occasion

The view from the street was interesting.

With the sun just gone down completely, the darkness was thin but still a contrast to the lighted windows of the little house. The curtains were drawn - which was surprising in itself, since they hadn't had curtains when he'd left that afternoon. Behind the curtains Kakashi could see a shadow moving, periodically crossing the room. The brightness from the house spilled out from the windows to the street. Kakashi had almost walked past, not recognizing his own place.

Now he stood looking at it from a distance, hands in his pockets and a Mercado Ao shopping bag slung over one shoulder. The roses poked up out of the top of the bag and he could smell their sweetness.

There was another smell in the evening air… miso, perhaps, but also something he didn't recognize that was pungent and mouth-watering. Who knew that living with someone meant so much sensory temptation in the space of a few hours. The trees moved in the night breeze. A handful of petals blew toward him across the packed dirt of the little road.

Kakashi walked up to his front door and took a breath. He knocked. _Wait, why am I knocking on my own door_?! he thought, but it was too late to take it back. Before he had fully recovered from his gaffe the door swung open and Kakashi was attacked - by sensory overload.

"Okaerinasai!" said a beaming Hanare. The smile on her face was bright enough to bring spring to the Land of Snow and her cheeks were rosy. The warmth from the house streamed out and blasted Kakashi head-on. Same with the scents of cooking. And visually… Kakashi was glad, for the first time in a decade, that he'd lost the sharingan.

Hanare had changed her clothes again. And her hair. A thought flashed through Kakashi's mind that perhaps this shapeshifting tendency was some kind of kunoichi tactic… but it was a distant thought and dissolved in the force of assault from the enemy. Kakashi felt a bit warm under his mask. "The enemy" was wearing a long flowing dress of some sort. It had a pattern of shades of blue and orange; and covered up mostly everything - _except_ it had a plunging neckline that made a low "v" all the way down through Hanare's cleavage. The exposed skin of her chest looked soft and inviting…

"Are you going to come in?" Hanare giggled. Her hair was pinned up and a piece fell over her right eye, partially obscuring the beauty mark. The style showed off her neck, which Kakashi realized had mostly been covered in past outfits. He stepped stiffly over the threshold.

"Hi," he said.

Hanare laughed. " _Hi,"_ she said in return, holding out her hands. Kakashi looked blankly at them. "Your vest?" Hanare smiled.

 _Oh, right._ Kakashi went to slip out of his flak and realized the shopping bag was in the way. He shrugged it off and set it on the floor. Hanare didn't look at it. She was looking at him. Kakashi supposed that was good, so he could still surprise her with the flowers.

He handed his vest to the green-haired woman and watched as she hung it on the peg by the door. She had to turn around to do so and as she reached up, the dress draped over her butt in a very nice way. Kakashi adjusted his collar. _It must be warmer than usual in here… from the cooking._ He wanted to take off the dress shirt, but it seemed presumptive and kind of rude. Besides, she was dressed so nicely…

"Sit down!" Hanare said cheerfully. It was an order and an invitation at the same time. She went over to the stove. Kakashi hesitated.

"I brought something," he said.

"Oh?" Hanare didn't look up as she put something into bowls on the counter. Steam was rising from the stove. Kakashi reached down for the shopping bag.

"Yeah." He took out the bouquet of roses.

Hanare was carrying something to the table. When she leaned over to place the bowls, the tops of her breasts were clearly visible through the steam from the food. Kakashi walked over to the table.

"I hope these are alright," he said, one hand in his pocket and the other hesitantly extended holding the bouquet. It felt horribly awkward. _I'm accustomed to putting flowers on graves,_ Kakashi mused. _Not giving them in person… Hmm._

Hanare's eyes flicked up and her cheeks turned a bit pinker, it seemed. She finished placing the food and reached for the flowers.

"Thank you," she smiled. "Yellow. How… beautiful." She stuck her nose in them and sniffed.

"Ino said yellow is the color of friendship," Kakashi said. He wasn't sure why but he felt like he needed to say something. Hanare nodded, her face still partially hidden by the blooms.

Kakashi reached back and scratched his head. Hanare wasn't saying anything. Her fingers traced the edge of one petal. She looked thoughtful. "I wasn't sure what color to get," he admitted. _And it was Ino's idea_ an accusatory inner voice said.

"They're lovely, Kakashi," Hanare finally said. She smiled again, but something felt off. Kakashi scratched his chin. He ran a hand through his hair. The food on the table sure looked good...

Something came to mind. "You were wearing yellow, that day," he said.

Hanare's expression changed to surprise. "Why yes… I was," she said, and when Kakashi kept staring at her, she blushed and looked away. "Let's… let's eat!" she said abruptly. "Before it gets cold after all my hard work," she laughed. "Please, sit…"

Kakashi slid out his chair and sat down. "I brought you something for dessert, too," he said. Hanare sat down across from him and fixed him with a look.

"You really didn't need to go to all the trouble," she said.

"Neither did you," Kakashi returned.

"Maybe I wanted to!"

"Well, so did I."

Hanare glared at him. Kakashi stared back at her with a sleepy look on his face.

"Dozo," she finally said. Kakashi picked up his ohashi. Hanare was pouring him some saké. There were several dishes on the table. The small bowl in front of him was miso, with eggplant.

Beneath his mask, Kakashi smiled.


	7. Dinner and Drinks

The food was really delicious. Kakashi wondered to himself if spy kunoichi were all trained in the culinary arts by default. It would make sense, in a way… He thought about asking Hanare but decided it seemed prying and was best not to bring up work history without knowing what had happened since he'd last seen her.

He kept busy eating and doing his usual mask schtick. Hanare seemed mildly amused but didn't mention it specifically, saying only, "I'm glad _to see_ you're enjoying the meal," with a little smirk on her face. He'd shrugged and over the next five minutes had cleaned his plate of second helpings of both the karé and broiled fish.

The bottle of saké was half gone. They hadn't talked much, just eaten in what Kakashi would describe as a "friendly silence." He'd complimented her cooking; she'd complimented his appetite.

Now she was refilling their cups again. Kakashi took another futomaki and surreptitiously checked out the flush that had gradually appeared on Hanare's bosom. It seemed drinking made her blush all over. Kakashi changed position on his chair.

"Have you lived in your house very long?" Hanare asked as she raised her cup to her lips. Her lips had gotten pinker with the saké, too...

"No," Kakashi said. "A couple years."

"Where did you live before?" Hanare's eyes were curious, with an air of openness. Kakashi decided he didn't mind her asking so many questions. He wasn't sure if it was her, or the occasion, or the liquor. Maybe a combination of all three.

"Most of my life it was an apartment," Kakashi said. "After I was Hokage, I tried my parents' place for awhile… tried to fix it up. But it wasn't for me."

"The fixing or the place itself?"

"Both." Kakashi kept his eyes down. The Hatake house had been a challenge and a disappointment. He took a drink.

"I'm sorry," Hanare said. "I can see it was difficult for you." Kakashi's gaze slid up toward her. She was looking at his cup, refilling it slowly. "It sounds like the kind of project that has a troublesome duality: so involved that you really should get help with it, yet so personal that one would want to tackle it alone, privately."

Kakashi leaned back in his chair. He considered her words and whether or not he wanted another helping of seaweed salad.

"I've had three houses," Hanare said, drinking deliberately. "My first was a small one in the Land of Waves."

"Waves?" Kakashi said, surprised. "I didn't know… I mean, I didn't know you were -"

Hanare giggled. "Let's be honest, Kakashi - what _do_ you know about me? Or I you, for that matter?" She leaned toward him in a way that squished her breasts together.

Kakashi had to admit she was right… _I know the kiss wasn't bad_ , Kakashi thought. He realized where his mind had taken him with a mild sense of alarm.

"Anyway, that was the first," Hanare continued. "I hoped the value would increase after the Tobischachimaru's successful flight, but…" she eyed him shrewdly.

"Oh… that..." Kakashi muttered.

"I heard you had firsthand experience with the blimp," Hanare said.

"You could say that," Kakashi evaded. Hanare grinned.

"I'm glad you made it out. I'll probably tease you more about it later, though - fair warning. The blimp gossip was _awful_."

Kakashi scratched his head, he hated anything to do with blimps and would have to find a way to avoid further talks about it with Hanare... "So what about after Waves?" he said, to change the subject more than anything else.

"I kept that as a rental," Hanare said. "And bought a townhouse in the Land of Hot Water near a resort. Lived there with my fiancé awhile."

Kakashi let it hang a moment. He didn't care about her fiancé… did he? _No._ Just ask her about the property…

"Your fiancé?" Kakashi said.

"Yes. He was a painter."

Kakashi tweaked an eyebrow. "Like fences?"

Hanare's eyes got a little glint in them. "No! Like _art_."

"Ah." Kakashi mulled that over. _Like Sai._ Sai, with his paintbrushes and K-Pop face and rippling abs he had been known to display in a crop top. Deidara, too, had considered himself an artist and was certainly stunning with his luxurious blonde ponytail and big cerulean eyes. And from what Sakura had said… Deidara's fellow artist and partner in Akatsuki had been ridiculously good-looking beneath the puppet's visage. Sasori was his name. Sakura's exact words had been "the most gorgeous boy I'd ever seen - I mean, except for Sasuke..!" Which really was saying a lot, coming from her.

When Hanare looked over at the makizushi and started to consolidate the remaining food onto one platter, Kakashi quickly took a shot. It made sense, in a way. Artists were handsome. Hanare was beautiful. She'd like a handsome guy who made beautiful things. An image of Deidara embracing Hanare popped into his head and he quickly ejected it. Without thinking Kakashi twirled his cup in his hand and it rattled against his bowl.

Hanare turned sharply. "Oh! Sorry - let me refill that for you."

"I didn't mean to be rude," Kakashi said. "You were saying…?"

Hanare shrugged. "I get to talking about real estate sometimes. My apologies. It's interesting to me but not everyone else, I know… Anyway, I let him keep the townhouse after the engagement ended. Then I moved to an apartment in the capitol."

Kakashi was silent a moment. "Who ended the engagement?"

"He did," Hanare said softly. She reached for the bottle, but Kakashi was already holding it.

"Allow me," he said, refilling her cup.

Hanare blushed. "Thank you." She looked down and Kakashi noticed her dress had gotten a little askew over the course of the meal. The neckline was off to the side, and Kakashi thought he could see a bit of white lace poking up. He set the bottle on the table and shifted in his chair again. Hanare drank quickly then got up and started clearing the dishes.

Kakashi glanced at the clock. It was almost eight already. Guy was supposed to come over at nine. He looked back at Hanare. She was cleaning up with professional focus. Kakashi wondered if she'd ever worked in restaurants. He thought about offering to help, but watching her was simply too pleasurable.

Hanare stacked a dish on her arm and added several more, gracefully bobbing to reach the utensils and then weaving around her chair. It was like a dance. She went to the sink and leaned over. Kakashi could see the nape of her neck, framed by a couple strands of hair that had come loose.

"Guy'll be here soon," Kakashi said. Hanare nodded, still facing away from him as she did something at the sink. Kakashi looked at the blue pattern across her hips. It was diamonds and scrolling embellishments… very colorful and intricate, like textiles he'd seen on missions in distant Lands.

"Do you like chocolates?" Kakashi said. He felt tired but excited and wasn't sure if that was a good thing. The heat was finally getting to him, too. He pulled off the dress shirt and flung it over another chair. He was sure he looked like a deadbeat in his old undershirt but it was just so much more comfortable… he ran a hand through his hair and again noticed how much thinner it was than it used to be.

"I love…" Hanare was saying. She'd turned around and noticed him. A smile crept over her face. Kakashi wasn't sure what that was about. "I love chocolates," she affirmed, swaying over to the table. Was she swaying, really? _Maybe it's the saké,_ Kakashi thought with chagrin. He stretched, reaching over to where he'd left the shopping bag. He felt inside until his fingers closed around the box.

"Here," he said. The box was red. He held it out to Hanare. She took it.

"How thoughtful," Hanare murmured, pulling at the bow on top.

"It was Choji's idea," Kakashi said, covering a yawn. He froze in place when he realized what he'd said. Hanare still had a little smile on her face, but now there was a little line between her brows, too.

"Oh… I… see," she said. She opened the box. "These are really nice, Kakashi." She picked one out and offered the rest to him.

"No thanks. I don't like sweets," he said. Hanare raised an eyebrow and put the chocolate in her mouth. Kakashi forced himself to not stare at her while she chewed by pouring himself another saké.

"Mmmmm," Hanare said, clearly enjoying herself. She closed her eyes and licked her lips. Kakashi could see a lock of hair sticking to her neck. And she hadn't readjusted the dress yet - that was _definitely_ lace peeking out.

She was only a few feet away, across the table… In fact, now she was _sitting_ on the edge of the table, leaning slightly toward him as she selected another candy. Kakashi got a whiff of perfume and curry powder. The bare inner curve of her left breast was clearly visible, as was the beauty mark under her right eye. Her cheeks were flushed. As she bowed her head to scrutinize the box, a piece of hair fell out of her bun and across her face. She reached up to push it back.

 _I could just…_

 _I could._

 _Couldn't I?_

Kakashi let his thoughts wander for a split second. He watched Hanare take a breath, her bosom rising. He wondered what her sighs would sound like, whether they'd smell like chocolate.

 _I could just..._

"Are you going to wear that while Guy's here?" Kakashi said.

Hanare looked up from browsing the chocolates. Slowly. Her eyes met Kakashi's. The cognac surfaces were full of something he couldn't describe. She looked at him in silence. Kakashi drained his cup, unflinching.

"Why do you ask?" she asked after a minute.

"Well. It is pretty revealing." Kakashi wasn't sure why he was saying what he was saying, but it seemed to be happening on its own. For a moment neither of them spoke.

"Oh. Is it? Pardon me," Hanare said, blushing deeply and pulling the neckline of the dress upward. The lace vanished from sight.

Kakashi looked at the clock. "Guy has a habit of showing up early," he sighed. Hanare just nodded. She pushed off of the table and picked up the last remaining items, including the chocolates. She took them to the counter, then came back and rolled up the tablecloth. _Tablecloth? That's new_ … Kakashi's eye traveled over the leaf pattern. It seemed to coordinate with the curtains he'd noted earlier. It was nice.

"I wouldn't want you to be in a compromising situation." Kakashi said as he stood abruptly and turned toward the windows. He put his hands in his pockets.

Hanare's voice was soft, wafting over from near the sink. "That is... very thoughtful of you, Kakashi. I'm flattered you thought of me being… compromised."

Her words made Kakashi's skin tingle and he scratched his chin. He listened to the clatter of dishes going into the sink. The lights were on but down low and the house felt cozy. Kakashi wondered when Guy would arrive as he counted the leaves in the fabric of the new curtains.

"If it's any solace," Hanare said, and Kakashi jumped a tiny bit. "I wasn't intending to intrude on your guy time. After I wash the dishes, I'm planning to go to bed. So you needn't worry."

Kakashi wasn't sure about that.


	8. Pong

A youthful knock reverberated through the house at exactly 8:48. Kakashi opened the front door to find a muscular man in a wheelchair, clad in a green jumpsuit, on his porch. A thumbs-up was thrust into Kakashi's face and a gleaming white smile deployed like a homing missile.

"It's mahjong night and I hope you're ready to feel the sting of bitter defeat MY ETERNAL RIIIIIIIVAL!" Guy bellowed. Kakashi grabbed the armrests of the chair and hauled him into the house, accidentally slamming the door shut in his annoyance.

Guy was wheeled unceremoniously to the table. "You have a lot of explaining to do!" Kakashi hissed. Guy glanced up like a naughty schoolboy trying to appear innocent. Kakashi's tone was sharp and though his eyes seemed bored at first, a closer inspection revealed a sharpness to the dark gray. The silver-haired man was opening the fridge. Guy stretched out in his seat and brought out the mahjong set from the backpack hooked onto the handles of the wheelchair. Beers clanked as Kakashi took them out and brought them over. They did jon ken po and the loser - Kakashi - popped the tops with a jutsu.

Guy smacked his lips around the cold bottle. "This is delicious! I don't think I've had it before…" the Green Beast of Konoha squinted at the label.

Kakashi glared as he mixed tiles. " _Hanare_ got it. A Stone import."

"Yes, she is a stone-cold fox! Makes sense she'd be from Stone…"

"No, Guy - the _beer_ is from Stone. You of all people should know where Hanare is from - since you talked to her most recently!" Kakashi's voice was a loud, accusatory whisper. Guy made large, wounded eyes as they began to build the wall.

"Now Kakashi, we've been friends a long time - but I won't have you impugn facts at the expense of my reputation…"

" _Guy…_ "

"Ok, ok, my rival! I may have run into a certain green-haired lady on a trip to the capitol with my old genin squad."

Kakashi _hmphd_ and slid a bag of spicy okaki across the table. "Keep talking," he growled at his best friend.

"Ah Kakashi you know my weakness," Guy snatched up the bag of treats. "Well it so happened I had unused frequent rider miles for the train, so I offered to take Lee and Tenten to the city for some sightseeing."

Kakashi grunted and evened the wall with his palms. Guy distributed dice and counters in between bites of okaki and sips of beer. His voice wavered when he spoke again. "There is a large temple there. Tenten wanted to make an offering for Neji."

Kakashi paused and inclined his head respectfully. Guy sniffled. Kakashi handed him a handkerchief. "That's… wonderful, Guy. Really beautiful. Very… noble," Kakashi said, patting his friend's arm. Guy blew his nose loudly on the handkerchief and nodded. Kakashi felt a pang in his chest. It could've been any one of my own students… _It could be me in the wheelchair_.

Kakashi cleared his throat. "So. Um. You were saying…"

"Ah yes! To return to the story of your ladyfriend…"

"She's not really…"

"Your paramour!"

"Guy, look…"

"Your sexy, sassy, soulmate of a spy!"

"Guy!"

"Right." They drew tiles. "So, I met your current roommate in the capitol. We were at Peach Blossom Shrine. Tenten was paying respects to Neji and Lee was doing meditative handstand pushups. I was petting the one-eyed shrine cat."

"Is that a euphemism?"

"No Kakashi it was an actual cat. A feline. Genus _Felis,_ subspecies _catus._ You might want to lay off the socially-accepted literary porn, my friend. We're talking about a shrine, here…"

"...Sorry."

"So as I was stroking this friendly pussycat I noticed a particularly well-dressed woman come up the steps. She stood out because of her sharp black business suit and her unique dark green hair."

Kakashi's hands stilled over his tiles. Guy's words painted a picture in his mind like he was watching a movie. He imagined seeing Hanare as Guy described, for the first time in over a decade.

"Turns out this lady was in the habit of visiting the shrine and bringing a treat for the cat, every time she was nearby on business. We got to talking while the cat enjoyed some tuna."

Kakashi massaged his temple.

Guy drew, discarded. "In the midst of our exchange on the weather I recalled your tale of the spy who left you, Kakashi."

"I never said any such -"

"Oh but you did, my rival… deep in the steamy waters of the Land of Tea's hot springs!"

Kakashi thought back… and groaned.

"The past is the past, as you so succinctly put it back then. But your description of the green hair stuck with me. I meant to relate this to the woman at the shrine casually, just in passing, to compliment her and just _happen_ to mention my best friend - a decent looking, financially stable, formerly hip and cool dude who is also a respected veteran and eternal bachelor - who coincidentally has an affinity for green hair…"

" _Damn it, Guy!"_ Kakashi knocked tiles onto the floor. He stomped to the fridge and got more beer.

"Imagine my surprise when this woman, shocked at my words, revealed that _she_ was indeed the one and only person my best friend had been drunkenly reminiscing over in the hot springs…"

Kakashi rested his head in his hands. "Guy - I _told_ you… those were dreams. Nothing more. I told you ALL of my weird dreams that night, if I recall correctly. Rin, Obito, even Itachi…"

Guy paused. He took a big swig while he frowned in concentration. "Ah!" he crowed after a minute, stuffing more okaki in his mouth. "But neither Rin, Obito, nor Itachi have green hair!" Guy's tone was triumphant.

Kakashi moaned and put his head on the table. "Guy. How much did you drink before you came over."

"A modest ¾ of a fifth," Guy declared proudly. "Just enough vodka to grease the wheels as they say. What about you, my rival?"

"Most of a bottle of junmai," Kakashi replied tiredly.

"Ha! That's definitely a check mark in _my_ win column." Guy clapped his hands.

"Guy… so you told her… what'd you tell her about me?"

"Only the truth."

"And what's the truth."

"That you're a washed-up shinobi living in his own mind while all of his unwritten chapters gather dust."

"Thanks a lot, Guy."

"Anytime, Kakashi!"


	9. Nothing to Worry About

The hallway was dark and quiet. Kakashi paused at the noren and listened, just to be sure. Behind him, Guy was nearly dozing off at the table. In front of him, the gauzy fabric with the shamisen-playing geisha divided the living room from the shadows of the hall. Kakashi didn't hear anything, so he poked his head through.

The silver-haired ninja turned his head and peered into the darkness. No light on in the bathroom… no light coming from the bedroom door. All clear.

Kakashi zipped down the hall to the obenjo like a sidling wraith. _Whew_. His head lolled back as he relieved himself. Who knew that living with someone could result in situations so closely recalling those of the battlefield?

"Kashi…?" Guy was hollering from the front room. Kakashi swore under his breath and zipped up too fast, nearly catching stuff that shouldn't be caught. He tiptoed rapidly back up the hallway.

"Guy! _Ssssh._ Are you trying to wake her up?!" Kakashi said as he popped back through the noren with a glare.

Guy had wheeled himself to the fridge and was rifling around. "Mind if I take some food for tomorrow? You look pretty well-stocked for one bachelor. Mmmm, what's this? Curry?" Guy licked some karé off his finger. "Delicious! These leftovers are too youthful for you to handle alone, Kakashi." Guy was stacking neatly packed bento boxes on his lap.

Kakashi's frown deepened. "I… I'd have to ask Hanare. She made it all. I don't know if she had plans for it…"

"Asking the lady's permission in your own house already, eh Kakashi?" Guy cackled as he cracked open another container to check out the contents. Kakashi's hands clenched in his pockets. _Sure, it's my house, but…_ It didn't seem right to give away all the food Hanare had bought and worked so hard on.

"Just. Wait. Right. There. Back in a sec," Kakashi growled. Guy didn't even answer - his mouth was full of futomaki.

Kakashi turned slowly and with a sense of dread ducked back through the noren. He ambled down the hallway looking nonchalant while barely remembering to breathe. The door to the bedroom was just slightly ajar. He stared at it a moment. _No light… no sound_. She was probably asleep. But what was the alternative? Let Guy ransack the fridge and face whatever reaction Hanare would have in the morning? Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. It was like deciding whether to face an opponent straight up or try the sneak attack.

Kakashi pushed gently on the door… and stopped.

Hanare was indeed asleep in the bed. The curtains of the small window were open and moonlight shone into the room, highlighting a bare shoulder. Hanare was curled up on her side, facing away from the window. Her hair lay long and tousled across the white pillows. She was snoring softly. Kakashi felt his mouth twitch under his mask. His eyes traveled from her face downward and he glimpsed a hint of blue. A shiny, sky-blue blue. Likely the suspiciously silky garment he'd seen her putting in the drawer earlier.

"...Kashi?!" Guy's voice drifted obnoxiously from the front room. Kakashi gritted his teeth. He took a deep breath and walked into the bedroom.

"Hanare." Kakashi stood next to the bed.

"Mmmm?" Hanare murmured. Her eyes were still closed.

Kakashi was relieved he didn't have to rouse her. "Sorry to disturb you."

"I heard you in the hallway," Hanare mumbled. Her eyes flickered open. She squinted at Kakashi in the dark. "What is it?"

Kakashi smiled under his mask. It made sense for a spy to be a light sleeper. _I'll have to remember that in the future._

"Guy's about to go home. Is it alright if he takes some of the leftovers?"

Hanare's mouth curved up at the corner. "Oh, is that all?" she said. Kakashi scratched his head.

"Well. By 'some' I mean _most_ of the leftovers. I think he already started eating the curry."

Hanare giggled. "I'm flattered he couldn't resist my cooking!" She covered a yawn. "Of course it's fine, Kakashi… what, were you really going to deny food to an injured war veteran?! I'm appalled."

Kakashi was taken aback for a moment. He looked down at the kunoichi in his bed. Hanare's cognac gaze was sleepy and warm. "You're… making fun of me," he observed.

"Are you going to do something about it?" Hanare whispered.

"I haven't decided yet," Kakashi replied. He turned and walked to the door. "Thanks," he said.

"Kakashi." Hanare's voice was soft.

"...Yeah?" He didn't turn around.

"Will you be coming to bed soon?"

The words flew like feathered darts, pricking Kakashi in the back of his neck. He reached up and adjusted his mask. The room smelled vaguely of magnolia. He heard the refrigerator close out in the kitchen, and Guy's wheels creak across the floor. Hanare's presence in the room filled it like water in a vase. Her chakra had the texture of wind over an open field. And the weight of the last moments before a rainstorm...

Kakashi turned and looked over his shoulder. "Yeah. I'll be in soon." His words brought a sleepy smile to Hanare's face.

"Goodnight," she said.

"Goodnight."

Kakashi walked out in the hallway. He paused at the noren. The shadows clung to him. His fingers twitched in his pockets. The geisha on the fabric of the curtain seemed to smile at him.

With a slight shake of his head, Kakashi went into the living room to see to Guy.


	10. Leftovers

Kakashi slid his hand under the blue nightgown and Hanare gasped. His fingers explored the curve of her breast, the small of her back… everything was _so soft_ … As he nuzzled his unmasked face into her neck she sighed and he noticed it smelled like chocolate.

"Are you going to _do_ something about it?" she whispered. In answer Kakashi flipped her over and away from him. She gasped. He reached forward and wrapped his fingers around her thigh, pulling her legs apart.

"Kakashi…!" Hanare's voice was breathy and needful… he only wanted to give her everything she desired…

He was ready. Blood pounded in his temples and elsewhere, he throbbed for release. He pulled Hanare's leg up and scooted closer to her from behind. "What do you want me to do?" he asked, pushing up against her pliant backside.

"Kakashi," she gasped again. " _Everything_."

Kakashi smiled to himself. He'd known all along she -

CRASH

Kakashi blinked. He was staring at the ceiling… of the living room.

 _Ssssss!_

He whipped his head to the side at the snake-like sound. _Orochi…?!_ No, wait…

A tea kettle. Hanare, standing at the kitchen sink. Daylight through the window. The bow of an apron across Hanare's hips. The smell of frying bacon.

CLANK

Kakashi blinked again as a pan got slammed down on a burner. He went to rub his eyes of sleep sand… and realized his hands were occupied. One was jammed under a couch cushion. The other was jammed…

 _Oh, no._

"Sleep well?" Hanare's voice sang across the room. Kakashi swallowed. He looked nonchalantly toward the sink and saw her breaking eggs into a skillet, her back still to him. Kakashi slowly and silently slid his hand out from under the waistband of his pants. He eased a pillow over his lap.

"I always sleep well," he said. "You?"

Hanare shrugged. She didn't turn around, just kept tending the eggs. "It was alright, though I've had better."

Kakashi frowned. "Better sleep?"

"Yes. It's always a bit awkward, the first night in a strange bed."

"Was something wrong?"

"No, no - it's a really nice bed. I mean, I waited a little for you, but mostly it was just being in a new environment."

Kakashi scratched his chin. _Really need to shave today…_ "Yeah. It got late - I didn't want to disturb you."

"I understand," Hanare said, turning around. She had a plate in one hand and a knife in the other. Kakashi's eyes widened slightly but he kept his hands laced casually behind his bed. "It's not like you're obligated or anything," Hanare smiled. She walked to the table and set down the plate. "I just felt bad - like I kicked you out of your own bed!"

She giggled. Kakashi felt nervous for some reason he couldn't figure out. He gazed up at Hanare. Her eyes were bright and unreadable. She looked cheerful enough. Sunlight from the windows glinted off her emerald hair _and_ the edge of the knife in her hand. Today her hair was tied in two ponytails that hung neatly down her back. The apron she wore was pink. Underneath she appeared to be wearing some kind of plaid shirt and dark blue shorts.

"I thought today I'd work in the garden after breakfast," she said. Kakashi realized he must have been obviously looking at her. He glanced away and sat up. Hanare took out a package of yokan from her apron pocket. "Hungry?" she said. "Well, regardless, you should eat. It's ready." She nodded at the eggs and bacon.

"Thanks," Kakashi said. It looked good… and as far as he could tell it felt _safe_ to stand up. He moved the pillow off his lap and went to his chair.

"Itadakimasu."

"Hai, dozo," Hanare said with a little smile as she continued slicing the yokan.

Kakashi attacked the food.

"Did you eat already?" he asked after several bites, noticing Hanare didn't have a plate.

"I just like a little tea and this in the morning," she smiled, picking up a piece of the sweet bean confection. "Then something with more protein later. And an afternoon coffee, which I've been told is strange!" She laughed a little as she sat down. Kakashi noticed she'd finally let go of the knife. He relaxed and leaned back slightly as he chewed some perfectly crispy bacon.

Hanare held her tea in both hands and took a sip. The old wood table seemed shinier than usual. Kakashi wondered if she'd polished it or something. The birds had started up outside. He watched the steam curl up in front of Hanare's face, obscuring her cute nose for a moment.

Kakashi swallowed a mouthful of egg. "There's a popular coffee shop near the bookstore," he said. "I'll take you later."

Hanare glanced up. "Oh?" she said. Kakashi nodded, once. Hanare looked down at her tea and a light blush bloomed across her cheeks. "That would be lovely," she murmured. Kakashi slipped an entire piece of bacon under his mask.

They finished eating with just the birds outside doing most of the talking. After fourths of bacon Kakashi was stuffed and sat back with a satisfied and sleepy look on his face. He stretched. Hanare got up and took his plate that only had a tiny crust of toast left on it. She smiled and went to the sink. Kakashi watched her rinse the dishes, hands laced behind his head. The shorts she was wearing went down to her knees, but were kind of tight around the butt.

"What happened out there, anyway?" Hanare said, and Kakashi jumped.

"Where?" he said quickly, leaning forward and propping his head on one hand attentively. Hanare looked over her shoulder at him.

"In the garden. Do you have a problem with stray dogs or something? It's torn up completely - full of holes!" She looked back out the kitchen window as she dried her hands.

"Oh," Kakashi sighed. "That. Boruto and Sarada were supposed to weed it for me, for extra cash. I think they started practicing ninjutsu instead. Experimenting with forcing Earth Style or something." He chuckled, remembering Boruto complaining about how Earth would get his clothes dirty, and how Sarada lectured him on needing to expand his horizons and "stop complaining like someone's old auntie."

"What's so funny?" Hanare was facing him again, leaning back against the counter.

Kakashi looked away. "Ah… just kids."

"Who's kids are they?" Hanare asked, voice warm.

Kakashi paused. He felt hesitant to speak about this for some reason. He traced a the crack in the corner of the table with his finger. "My old students'... you probably don't remember them."

"No - I think I do," Hanare said. Kakashi glanced at her in surprise. She had a hand on her chin and her brow furrowed as she thought. "The ones who fell out of the tree, right? There was a girl with pink hair, a very serious handsome boy, and the loud one in orange who handed me the bouquet."

Kakashi blinked. _That was over a decade and a half ago…_ Hanare was giggling. "You shouldn't be so surprised," she winked. "Spies have elephantine memories. It's part of our training, after all!"

"That makes sense," Kakashi said. _I'll have to remember that…_

"So which ones are the parents?" Hanare prodded.

Kakashi ran a hand through his hair. "The pink-haired girl is Sakura, and she and the "serious, handsome boy" had a daughter. Sarada. The loud one - Naruto, our current Hokage - married a Hyuga princess and their son is Boruto."

"Oh my!" Hanare exclaimed. "Your student became Hokage? You must be so proud, Kakashi. That's really something."

Kakashi eyed her. She was smiling and her cheeks were pink. She seemed sincere - not as if she was poking fun… "Proud… yeah," he finally said. And stood up.

"You were going to garden, right? I usually read the paper about now." Kakashi stuffed his hands in his pockets and tried to look amicable.

"Of course," Hanare said. "Where are the tools? Then I'll be out of your way," she grinned.

"There's a shed to the left of the back door."

"Thank you, Kakashi."

Hanare took off the apron, hung it on the back of a chair, and went to get her shoes. Kakashi walked over to the armchair and found the morning newspaper already set out on the side table, along with a thermos and a bowl of okaki. He frowned. Then he looked at Hanare.

She was pulling on her shoes near the back door. "I thought you might like some refreshment while you read," she chirped.

"Thanks…" Kakashi scratched his chin. "I'll be right here if you need any…" he started to say, but the back door was already clicking shut.


	11. Molehills

Kakashi stared at the front page of the newspaper. Ninja villages were some of the few places left with examples of "analog" information distribution, as Shikamaru would say. Big civilian cities had digital everything. Even in Konoha the kids relied mostly on their devices, but something about the culture held onto quaint and traditional relics. Kakashi kind of enjoyed it. Even though he'd been the Hokage primarily responsible for "upgrading" the Leaf consistent with the modern era, personally he preferred a lot of the old aesthetics.

At the moment though whether the paper was in print or digital wouldn't have made a difference. He was just staring at the page, his thoughts elsewhere. The trouble was… there was someone in his yard.

Kakashi tried to relax. He set down the paper and opened the thermos. A noseful of savory steam greeted him. It was full, apparently, of really good coffee. The nice stuff. Black. Kakashi absently picked up a piece of okaki and ate it. He left the lid off the thermos so the coffee could cool down. He cracked his knuckles. Then he jumped up and ran over to look out the window into the backyard.

Hanare was squatting in front of the westernmost planting bed. Her shorts had slid down and her shirt had ridden up as she leaned over the dirt. Kakashi peered over the rod of the kitchen's half-curtains. He could _definitely_ see some of Hanare's tailbone. The gap of skin showing widened as she worked. Maybe in a few minutes he'd be able to see -

The green-haired woman suddenly turned and looked over her shoulder toward the house and Kakashi ducked down in a flash. He crouched behind the calico for a few moments, making sure he hadn't been noticed. When he sensed the coast was clear, he slowly lifted the bottom corner of the curtain and peeked out with one eye.

Hanare had pulled her shorts up. There was a swipe of dirt on her side where her gardening glove had brushed against her skin. But… now she'd changed position. Instead of squatting, she was on all fours half on the lawn and half in the planting bed. Her butt was toward the house. Kakashi didn't move from his position.

The kunoichi seemed to be comfortable using the garden tools and it appeared she didn't care about getting a little dirty. The yard really was a mess - the kids had torn it up good. Kakashi felt slightly guilty about not helping. It was a decent morning… the sun was filtering down through a few clouds and there was a very slight breeze moving the buds of the magnolia tree. Kakashi watched as Hanare stretched to fill in a hole and pull a weed… her hips shifting forward and…

KNOCK KNOCK

Kakashi jumped back from the window and bumped into a dining chair, tangling his foot in the legs and losing his balance. He tilted, tipped, narrowly managed to catch himself on the table and regain his balance.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Coming!" Kakashi yelled, just to make the pounding stop. It really was too early in the morning for such noise.

"Yes?" Kakashi sighed as he opened the door. He stopped and looked down with a whisper of dread in his stomach as he recognized who was on his front porch.

"Old Man Kakashi!" Boruto said. "Morning. I'm coming in."

"Boruto, no -"

"Thanks." The blond preadolescent gracefully shouldered his way past, giving speechless Kakashi a low-five on the way into the house.

"Wow, smells good in here today," Boruto said as he stretched and plopped down on the couch, immediately sprawling all over it. "Can I watch TV?"

Kakashi closed the door. "...Sure." Boruto was already flipping channels.

"Do you have any potato chips, Old Man?"

"No. Boruto, does Hinata know -"

"Yeah yeah Mom knows. I told her on my way out."

"It's pretty early for a visit, you know."

"Do you have any ramuné? Well if it's early it's my dad's fault. He had to go to a meeting and his alarm went off like a million times and he still wouldn't get out of bed so _I_ had to get up and sit on his head. That got him out the door. Stupid old man. Then I was awake and Mom said I was being too noisy so I said forget it, I'm coming over here."

Kakashi sighed. "I see." He took a soda pop from the fridge and walked it over to the boy, who was happily watching an adult anime.

Kakashi handed Boruto the ramuné. "Here. And change the channel, or no TV."

"Aww, Old Man Kakashi! This looks really good…"

"It is. And you can find out just how good when you're the right age. Now change the channel!"

Grumbling, Boruto switched to Power Rangers. "Silver is my favorite. What's yours, Old Man? And do you have any Pocky?"

"I always liked green," Kakashi sighed as he went over to the snack cabinet. "Boruto, look - you can hang out, but I have work to do. So keep it down, okay? Here." Kakashi tossed a box of chocolate Pocky to the boy

Boruto caught it confidently with one hand. "You don't work," he snickered.

"QUIET, or nothing - do we have a deal?" Kakashi glowered from across the room.

Boruto rolled his eyes. "Jeez gramps you don't need to be so mean about -"

The back door opened. "Kakashi, are you yelling at - oh! Hello," Hanare said as she noticed the boy on the couch. "I didn't realize we had company," she smiled. Kakashi scratched the back of his head. He opened his mouth to reply.

"WHOA, OLD MAN KAKASHI…!" Boruto said, his eyes wide with shock. "You… you… have a lady here?!"

Kakashi cursed in his head. "Boruto, I -"

"Hi, I'm Boruto. Who are you, Auntie?" The kid was sitting up, bright and alert and curious.

"This is Boruto, _Naruto's_ son," Kakashi said.

"Hi Boruto, nice to meet you. I'm Hanare. Not your Auntie, though you can call me that if you'd like. However, do I really look that old?" Hanare was grinning with one hand on her hip. Kakashi watched, fascinated, as Boruto blushed just a little.

"Nah, actually. You look too young for Old Man Kakashi."

Hanare laughed. Kakashi wished Naruto could work from home and watch his _own_ son…

"Well, Kakashi and I have been friends a long time," Hanare said easily. "I'd shake your hand but I heard you dislike getting your clothes dirty - I'm covered in gardening dirt. _Someone_ put a lot of holes in the backyard."

"Moles maybe," Boruto mumbled, and Hanare raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, moles perhaps… Well, I'm going to finish up outside. Do either of you want to help?" The silver-haired shinobi and the kid both looked reluctantly at her. Hanare laughed. "Alright then. I have a tablet in my purse, right over there, if you want to try out some of my games, Boruto. They're probably not so cool for a kid your age but some are highly rated -"

"New games!" Boruto cried, ransacking the lavender handbag.

"Have fun," Hanare said, but she was looking at Kakashi. The back door closed again and Kakashi watched her return to the area she was tending. She knelt down this time, tilling the soil with the hand rake.

"Why don't you just go out there too if you're gonna stare like some weirdo?" Boruto's voice cut into Kakashi's thoughts.

"I'm relaxing," Kakashi said, turning away from the window and walking back to his armchair.

"I thought you said you had to work," Boruto said over the sound effects coming from the tablet.

Kakashi sipped the coffee and unfurled the newspaper in front of his face so it obscured the view of Boruto lying on the couch with his feet up. "I'm working at relaxing," the ex-Hokage said.

"That is so lame," Boruto laughed.


	12. Coffee in the Afternoon

_A.N. TY so much for being here, I put up a quick note on my bio page for those interested. Enjoy!_

...

"That was a bit exciting, wasn't it," Hanare said, cleaning up after a modest early lunch. Kakashi stood at the still-open door, watching Boruto run up the road headed toward the Academy.

"I wonder if he really doesn't have first or second period on Wednesdays," Kakashi mused.

"You could have called the school," Hanare said as she put away the rice.

Kakashi gently shut the door. "I could have."

Hanare smiled down at the plastic wrap she was unrolling. "I think it was fine."

Kakashi scratched his chin through his mask. "So… Coffee?"

"Hmmm?" Hanare put a plate with leftover sardines in the fridge.

"You said you like it in the afternoon. Coffee, I mean… There's a place by the bookstore. I said… I'd… take you there." Kakashi stared at the table. When Hanare didn't reply right away he ran a hand through his hair.

"If you don't feel like it -"

"No Kakashi, that sounds perfect! I was just thinking about what to wear - sorry." Hanare laughed lightly and Kakashi glanced at her cautiously. She had hopped up and was sitting on the kitchen counter, hands on her knees, smiling at him. A piece of hair from her pigtails had fallen out and dangled over her left eye.

"I need to shower," Kakashi said. "You should, too."

Hanare's smile vanished and her cheeks turned bright red.

"I… I mean - you probably want to, right? After all the… gardening?" Kakashi nodded quickly at Hanare's legs.

Hanare glanced down. "Oh!" she said, noticing the bits of grass and dirt stuck to her skin. She giggled and her smile returned. "I hadn't noticed how dirty I'd gotten. I guess I _was_ crawling around out there for a while! ...Yes, Kakashi, a shower does sound nice."

Kakashi pulled at the top edge of his mask. Everything felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. He nodded again. "You can go first."

"I might use up all the hot water…" Hanare winked.

"Don't," Kakashi said. The green-haired kunoichi chuckled and hopped off the counter. She patted his arm as she passed him on the way toward the hall.

"No, sir. I can tell you're dead serious about your shower water. Thank you for being such a gentleman, though. I won't be long."

Kakashi watched her disappear through the noren. Then he went over to the couch and lay down. _I'll just rest a minute while she's in there._

"Kakashi?"

Hanare's voice floated out of the darkness of the hallway. Kakashi could hear the shower running. He got up off the couch and went toward the bathroom. The door was cracked open and steam wafted out. Kakashi reached forward and nudged the door open with outstretched fingers.

Hanare stood naked in the shower, her back to him. Her hair was drenched and hung in long seaweed-like tendrils down around her neck. The shower rained down on her and water dripped down all over her bare skin.

"Kakashi?" she said.

"Yeah."

"Could you help me? Some enemy nin from Kirigakure tied me up and I can't reach the soap."

Kakashi realized her hands were bound to the showerhead. That was an odd thing to do, but this young generation of shinobi were into all kinds of strange things… he'd seen a lot of evidence of it on the internet. Kakashi stepped into the bathroom.

"Sure, I can help," he said. He rolled up his sleeve and reached into the shower, taking the soap from the caddy. Hanare turned her head slightly, looking at him over her right shoulder. Her large honey-colored eye with the beauty mark underneath looked anxious.

"I have mud on my knees," she said plaintively. Kakashi nodded and knelt down. The steam rose all around him. He felt his clothes getting damp and realized he probably should've taken off his shirt first, at least… but he didn't really care.

He reached out and put soap on Hanare's legs. They were very smooth and firm.

"You're going to have to wash _everything_ ," Hanare said from above him. Again, Kakashi nodded. He got a washcloth from the basket and soaped that too, then ran it up Hanare's thighs. He stood up and now he did take off his shirt, which was dripping, and hung it on the peg near the shower stall.

"Don't get your pants wet!" Hanare chided, so Kakashi slipped those off, too. He stepped into the shower behind Hanare. He lathered up her back and stomach. The warm water felt good on his skin and he reached up and took off his mask.

"You're forgetting some parts," Hanare giggled. Kakashi blushed and was glad he was standing behind her. He got closer, pushing up against her so he could reach around to the front. She was really… wet. The steam made it hard to see. Kakashi felt upwards and cupped his hands around her exposed breasts. They felt nice… soft, gently rounded, slippery… Hanare sighed. Then Kakashi felt his way downward, and slid his hands over her backside and hips… the curves of her body seemingly taking him where he wanted to go anyway.

He trailed his fingertips from her bellybutton. She was giggling, pressing back against him, sliding her parts against his… Kakashi's fingers took a steep dive down, and slid across more than water…

"Kakashi," Hanare moaned. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you on your knees, but not to garden," he said into the steam. He felt sweaty and like he was breathing hard. Hanare must've somehow untied herself because suddenly she could move and Kakashi got the impression she was below him.

"I'm ready for you," she whispered, and Kakashi could hear her smile in the vapor more than he could see it. He gasped as she took him in her hands and then

" _Kakashi?!"_

Kakashi's eyes snapped open.

"Kakashi, are you okay?!"

It was Hanare's voice, alarmed. Kakashi realized he was lying on the floor, staring at the legs of the couch. There was a pillow beneath him and another he had his arms wrapped around. He heard Hanare running across the room.

"I… I'm fine," he said. Her hands were firm on his shoulders. She smelled like soap…

"Are you sure?" she asked. "Let's get you rolled over and check -"

"No, no, no need…" Kakashi waved a hand. "I'm perfectly comfortable - was just doing some… stretches…"

"Roll over!" Hanare said. "I want to listen to your heart."

"No."

"Kakashi!"

"Don't. Touch. Me," Kakashi growled. He peered up into Hanare's face. Her concerned expression changed to hurt. She let go.

"I'm… sorry," she murmured, standing up and turning away.

"Hanare - no. It's not… Damn it." Kakashi struggled to adjust his position so he wasn't ramming himself into the floor, while still keeping certain things less than obvious from his houseguest.

"I'm done with the shower. I'll just… go read outside. Let me know when you're ready to go."

Kakashi heard Hanare pick up her purse. The door closed softly behind her.

"Damn!" Kakashi swore. He punched the floor and cut his knuckle. _Now I need a bandage, too._ The man who copied a thousand jutsu lay his forehead against the cool wood and sighed deeply.


	13. Cream and Sugar

"Ah - sorry about that," Kakashi said. He scratched the back of his head as he tried to smile reassuringly at the stony-faced woman sitting on his front porch.

Hanare bit her lip and turned a page.

"I uh, can be a little… cranky, when I wake up." Kakashi chuckled and stuck his hands in his pockets. Hanare's head rotated slowly toward him like something out of a horror movie.

"Perhaps _I_ should apologize - for presuming to touch the great Kakashi Hatake!" Her eyes flashed.

"I'm sorry I worried you," Kakashi said. He'd showered and shaved, put on his dress shirt and pants plus his clean Hokage vest. The outfit always seemed to have a favorable effect on people. He figured it should be impressive - after all, there were only seven individuals who'd ever held the title and it wasn't like you could just waltz in and they'd give anyone the job…

Hanare closed the novel she was holding. Kakashi's eyes flicked down instinctively to see what it was: _Snow Country._ His face betrayed nothing but he filed the information away. An old, well-respected romance by a Nobel-Prize-winning author. Kakashi adjusted his mask. _Icha Icha Violence_ was safely stowed in his vest's secret inner pocket, and suddenly he was very aware of it.

"I apologize as well," Hanare sighed. Kakashi raised a brow in surprise. "I probably _shouldn't_ have presumed, really… I just thought, when I first came out… Well, I saw you on the floor and it's embarrassing but I thought, maybe… "

She trailed off with a frown line between her eyebrows.

"No. It was fine," Kakashi said.

"Silly, I know," Hanare said at the same time.

They looked at each other. The wind threw some petals across the road. Hanare had put her hair in a low bun. She was wearing a sweater again, only this one was dark red and didn't go up so high around the neck… and she wore it with a flouncy whitish skirt. And no shinobi sandals this time - her shoes were some sort of shiny beige slipper. She tucked _Snow Country_ into the light purple purse. Kakashi couldn't help but notice that Hanare's lips were also redder - she must've put on more makeup? It wasn't his area of expertise.

"You look nice," he heard himself say. Hanare was partway through standing up from the folding chair next to the door. Kakashi noted his comment made her hesitate and blush, but then she stood up all the way and smiled in his direction kind of shyly.

"Thank you," she said. She looked nervous, pushing a nonexistent piece of hair back from her face and avoiding looking directly at him…

"What is it?" Kakashi said, leaning closer to her. He noticed she smelled lightly of some sort of fruit… pear, maybe. Hanare swallowed visibly. She blushed more. Then finally she glanced sidelong at him.

"I… I just never thought I'd hear you say that," she said quietly. She held his gaze for a moment but then looked away again, cheeks flushed. Kakashi stared at her profile, then the slope of her neck…

"Let's go," he said, turning toward the center of the village. Hanare fell in at his side. They started walking up the road, heading into town at a leisurely pace.

This direction the grade was just slightly downhill. They were headed away from the route to the dog park at about a ninety degree angle. The road cut through the utilities blocks, then around the school grounds and through the transit mall. After that you hit the Old Town shopping district, which housed the used bookstore and their coffee destination amongst other oddities like the refurbished theater that played only silent films on weekdays and only adult films on weekends.

This way wasn't as scenic as the dog park, but it was shorter. Kakashi kept his hands in his pockets. Hanare seemed content to observe, for the moment. They were passing the old weapon testing fields, currently being renovated into a golf course. Kakashi smiled to himself, remembering Team 7's early missions - such as the dog walking duty that had Naruto getting dragged into this very field by a huge and unapologetic bulldog-mastiff crossbreed. Luckily Naruto hadn't been hit _directly_ by any of the explosives!

Kakashi was glad all the weapons facilities with more hazardous contents had been decommissioned under his authority as Hokage. It was much better for the community and morale to have that kind of storage and testing confined outside the village proper… not to mention much safer for the kids.

"You're smiling," Hanare's voice broke into his thoughts. "I want to know what about."

Kakashi glanced down at her. "Not much. And how can you tell? I'm wearing my mask."

"I'm a _spy_ by training," Hanare laughed. "I'm not authorized to tell you about my methods."

Kakashi knew she was joking, but he felt his thoughts sliding back anyway… to the cliff. To that day. Déjâ vū of a certain feeling… an anxiety, or dread…

"How long have you been a civilian?" Kakashi said. He made sure to smile as he said it, but Hanare's brow furrowed anyway. Kakashi went back to staring straight ahead up the road.

"Why?" Hanare asked. The response Kakashi had least desired to hear… well, aside from 'I'm not a civilian.' Kakashi kept walking. He saw the Hokage monument come into view and sighed inwardly with relief.

"I don't think they really captured my good side," he said, using the buy-me-ramen voice that always worked on Tenzo. Hanare followed his gaze and gasped.

"Oh, Kakashi!" she said, eyes wide. "What are you talking about?! It's perfect!"

Under his mask, Kakashi grinned. Under the stiff Hokage vest, he felt a flutter of something Guy would probably say was "youthful." It wasn't exactly comfortable, but it wasn't that bad, either.


	14. On the Scent

The coffee shop wasn't busy at two in the afternoon. It turned out that Hanare liked to get an Americano. Kakashi got his usual latté. The barista was very good and drew a shuriken in the foam. Hanare admired it and said it was kawaii.

Kakashi walked to his usual table, the corner one near the window where the light was good, and sat down. Hanare took the seat across from him. She sipped her coffee and stared out the window, watching people in the plaza. Kakashi shifted in his seat. Usually he'd just take out _Icha Icha_ …

"That couple is in a fight," Hanare murmured. Her eyes were discreetly tracking someone outside. Kakashi followed her gaze. A young man about Konohamaru's age was holding hands with a girl as they used the crosswalk. Their faces looked placid and unreadable to Kakashi.

"How can you tell?" he asked.

"Before the crossing light turned green, he held out his hand to take the shopping bag. She looked at his hand then moved the bag to her other shoulder and pretended not to see his offer." Hanare said. Kakashi raised his eyebrows. They both looked elsewhere so as not to be rude as the couple passed the café window.

After a moment, Kakashi nodded. "You were correct. Now they're arguing at the corner." A fox-like grin spread across Hanare's features, making her look sharp and mischievous. Kakashi chuckled.

"I knew it," the green-haired woman crowed quietly. She drank more coffee. Then her eyes alighted on Kakashi's half-empty cup. "How do you _do_ that?" she laughed, leaning forward and squinting at his mask.

Kakashi shrugged. "Even a spy's eyes can't be everywhere at once." He started to wink, thought better of it since it might be kind of creepy, and as a result his eye twitched awkwardly. Hanare giggled.

"Kakashi." She leaned back in her chair and stared upward at the ceiling. "Are you afraid I'm here to infiltrate the village?"

"Of course not."

"Liar."

"Well, you did infiltrate my house rather easily…"

"Do you honestly think I'm gathering intel on the Leaf?!"

"It wouldn't be a bad cover."

"Ah, baka neh, Hokage-sama!"

"You like the uniform, though, right?"

Kakashi stared sleepily at Hanare. She was glaring and blushing at the same time. The light from the window was very pretty on her. She'd turned to look across the street again. Her brow raised suddenly.

"Who are they?" she asked.

"Who?" Kakashi said, noticing some of her lipstick had rubbed off onto the Americano cup.

"Over there by the planter - the ones staring and pointing at us."

Kakashi kept his face expressionless. His hand clenched in his pocket, though. The people Hanare was referring to were Kiba, Mirai and Ino. Kiba was going out of his way to be obnoxious. Starring in those dog food commercials had clearly gone to his head.

Running a hand through his hair, Kakashi realized in retrospect he probably should've taken Hanare out somewhere in the country, maybe to one of the neighboring towns… or at the very least, picked a table in the _back_ of the café.

"Oh, it looks like they're headed this way…" Hanare said.

 _Damn_ , Kakashi thought. He actually looked around to see if the shop had an emergency exit.

"Evasive action?" Hanare said drily, and Kakashi froze. The kunoichi was eyeing him skeptically. She looked unimpressed.

Kakashi crossed his arms over his chest and lifted a palm in the air. "A tactical retreat, if anything. But I'm not in the mood to give ground." He dismissed the enemy with a wave of his hand.

Hanare raised her chin approvingly. "I see. Defensive formation, then, Commander?"

Under his mask, Kakashi smiled.

The door jangled as Kiba shoved his way into the café.

"Kakashi sensei!"

"Kiba."

"We saw you in the window and thought we'd say hi," Ino gushed, eyes darting to Hanare.

Mirai just chuckled, sounding _exactly_ like Asuma. Kakashi felt pleasure and a deep pang of sadness simultaneously. While they hadn't been very close as kids, as adults Asuma had grown to be Kakashi's best friend - next to Guy, of course - and losing him had been a terrible blow. Now Asuma's daughter was already a jonin. Beautiful and capable, Mirai seemed to have the best parts of both Asuma and Kurenai. Not a day went by when Kakashi didn't worry that something bad would befall his niece during a mission. But, that was the life she'd chosen…

Kakashi blinked. He suddenly realized everyone was staring at him expectantly.

"Euh…" the ex-Hokage ran a hand through his hair and looked to Hanare. The corner of her mouth twitched.

"I think you left us for a moment, Mr. Hatake." Hanare laughed lightly and everyone else chuckled in kind. Hanare laid her fingers just barely on the sleeve of his uniform. Her tone was professional. "Your friends here were just inquiring as to how we know one another…"

Kakashi swallowed and beneath his mask, opened his mouth to speak. But Hanare was a step ahead.

"... I presume you haven't publicized your intentions with the property. And why should you? It's a personal matter." Hanare smiled smoothly and turned toward the youngsters. Kakashi's mind raced - he had no idea what Hanare was referring to…

"I'm Mr. Hatake's real estate agent," Hanare bowed her head courteously. "It's a pleasure to meet you all."


End file.
